BMW rolls out new M6 safety car for MotoGP
Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, BMW, Motorcycle, Racing
It takes a fast and agile car to keep pace with MotoGP racing bikes. Fortunately the BMW M division is up to the task, providing safety cars (or what we'd call pace cars on this side of the Atlantic) to the race organizers of the top-level motorcycle racing series.
The most recent vehicles to perform the duties have been the 1 Series M Coupe and the X6 M crossover, but now BMW is introducing a the new M6 coupe to the mix. It'll debut in safety car guise as pictured above at the Nürburgring this weekend.
While it's unclear whether any modifications have been made to the 552-horsepower twin-turbo V8, the M6 MotoGP safety car has been upgraded with new spoilers front and rear, special lighting equipment and BMW's traditional blue, blue and red striping on a white body. And if we were betting men, we'd put our money on some upgrades to the brakes, suspension and tires, too.
BMW rolls out new M6 safety car for MotoGP originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 May 2012 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsMotoGP champ Casey Stoner stuns with retirement announcement [w/video]
Filed under: Motorsports, Motorcycle
Reigning MotoGP champion Casey Stoner is just 26 years old, but has been riding in the FIM series since 2001 when he joined the 125cc ranks. Five years later, the Australian was in the headlining formula series with Honda, the year after that, in 2007, he won the title astride a Ducati. Last year, Stoner won it again with Honda, and even battling an issue with his arm this year, he's atop the standings and leading his rivals in practice sessions for this weekend's French GP at Le Mans.
But Stoner used yesterday's GP press conference to announce his retirement at the end of this year. The Australian says the sport had gone in a direction that doesn't interest him and that he simply isn't enjoying it enough to continue the sacrifices necessary to be competitive at the top level. Speculation is that he wants to spend time with his wife and daughter, and perhaps that he plans to drive in the Australian V8 Supercar series.
Fellow Aussie and MotoGP legen Mick Doohan said he doesn't believe just yet that Stoner will actually ride off into farm life. Even so, the fact that the current World Champion is unhappy enough to publicly announce the end of his career is a shock to the MotoGP world. Have a look below for a video news report on Stoner's announcement.
Continue reading MotoGP champ Casey Stoner stuns with retirement announcement [w/video]
MotoGP champ Casey Stoner stuns with retirement announcement [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 13:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsWatch Genki Hagata pull off the world’s greatest motorcycle save
Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos, Motorcycle
We officially have a new motorcycle hero. Genki Hagata rolled his Yamaha YZF-R6 out onto the track during the second AMA Pro Supersport qualifying session at Sears Point recently. Partway through his out-lap, the bike lost traction in the rear before abruptly regaining it. We likely don't need to tell you that scenario almost always results in a one-way ticket off of the saddle in a not-so-glorious highside. But not for Hagata. The racer exhibited nothing less than super-human strength by clamping onto the handlebars and holding on for dear life.
Miraculously, it worked. After the bike settled down, Hagata managed to cling to the machine as it rode upright until he was able to fling himself back into the saddle. The guy's efforts kept the Yamaha off of the asphalt, but cost him a spot on the grid. Hagata missed the cut-off by a few tenths of a second. Still, we haven't seen heroics like this in a long spell. Scroll down to check it out for yourself.
Continue reading Watch Genki Hagata pull off the world's greatest motorcycle save
Watch Genki Hagata pull off the world's greatest motorcycle save originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsVilner takes on the BMW F800R [w/video]
Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Europe, BMW, Motorcycle, Russia, Design/Style
Vilner has taken the time to give the BMW F800R a once over to create the Predator. Built for a wealthy Russian businessman, the machine received a complete aesthetic redesign with plenty of components hewn from carbon fiber.
What isn't stitched from composite is coated in chrome, and the company's engineers set about shortening the bike by almost 10 inches. Vilner also ditched the dual saddle for a single seat variant and remade the headlight array. Red LEDs have replaced the standard bulbs, and a set of repurposed BMW Z4 turning indicators are now part of the action.
The Predator remains largely unchanged mechanically, though Vilner threw in a new, hand-built exhaust system. That means this machine still yields around 87 horsepower from its 800cc engine. Scroll down to check out the quick press release as well as a video of the bike.
Continue reading Vilner takes on the BMW F800R [w/video]
Vilner takes on the BMW F800R [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 May 2012 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsMission Motors Mission-R electric motorcycle checks in to Jay Leno’s Garage
Filed under: Etc., Technology, Videos, Motorcycle, Celebrities, Electric
The crew from Mission Motors took the time to stop by Jay Leno's Garage to give the comedian a peek at the Mission-R electric motorcycle. The machine uses 14-kWh lithium-ion batteries paired with a 120-kilowatt motor, which means there's around 161 horsepower on hand. Mission says the combination can get rider and machine to 60 miles per hour in around three seconds while scooting to a top speed of 160 mph. Not too shabby. The whole package weighs in at around 550 pounds and gives riders a range of 80-100 miles depending on how frisky they are with the throttle.
Mission says the company wanted to pursue a race bike because of the challenges the platform presents. Namely, the machine has to serve up impressive performance while remaining fairly lightweight, meaning there's little space for massive battery packs. Leno is no stranger to electric bikes or motorcycles. The guy has a stable of two-wheel machines, both internal-combustion and EV. Scroll down to check out the video for yourself.
Continue reading Mission Motors Mission-R electric motorcycle checks in to Jay Leno's Garage
Mission Motors Mission-R electric motorcycle checks in to Jay Leno's Garage originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 May 2012 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments1959 Vespa ACMA is the ultimate road-rage vehicle
Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Etc., Europe, Military, Motorcycle
If you've never laid eyes on a Vespa ACMA, allow us to introduce you. Manufactured for use in World War II, the scooter came equipped with a small cannon designed to launch rocket-propelled grenades.
Soldiers found an advantageous firing position, deployed stabilizers, plucked a grenade from a stylish wicker basket and fired upon the enemy, which, we should point out, was probably rolling happily along in a tank. Vespa ACMA, thy name is David. For obvious reasons, ACMA examples are plenty scarce. You can still find them, though, and if you want one to call your very own, we have good news for you.
The ACMA-obsessed crew over at Hemmings found an original example stored at a Messina military camp for the past 30 years. While the cannon has been deactivated, the rest of the Acma is in original and complete condition right down to the khaki green paint. If you like what you see, you'd better get your check book ready. This particular version is up for auction with an estimated final bid of $16,000 to $20,000. Head over to the COYS auction site for more information.
1959 Vespa ACMA is the ultimate road-rage vehicle originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 May 2012 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsWatch Josh Wainwright deflect a motorcycle with his head
Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Motorcycle, UK, Racing
Josh Wainwright became a living testimony for the value helmets during the British Superstock 600 recently. The rider put his bike down on the 11th lap just ahead of Johnny Bradshaw. With nowhere to go and no time to get there, Bradshaw literally drove over Wainwright's head with his motorcycle, catapulting both riders down the track.
Miraculously, Wainwright escaped the off with nothing more than a cracked rib and a broken collarbone. Bradshaw walked away without serious injury as well.
Any impact to the head involving that kind of velocity typically brings about neck injury concerns, but Wainwright seems to have avoided that peril. You can check out the video below for yourself to see just how close both Wainwright and Bradshaw came to having significantly worse days.
Continue reading Watch Josh Wainwright deflect a motorcycle with his head
Watch Josh Wainwright deflect a motorcycle with his head originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsAll the slow-motion supermoto action you can stand
Filed under: Performance, Videos, Motorcycle, Off-Road
We've been desperately trying to put our finger on what makes the idea of a supermoto so attractive, and we may have finally figured it out. The bikes are perfect all-purpose machines, equally at home dismantling stretches of mountain tarmac as they are bashing through the woods.
Wildly controllable, lightweight and even fuel-efficient, the bikes are the perfect two-wheeled mode of transportation for the impending apocalypse. Don't believe us? Take a look at the quick video after the jump. The clip features plenty of supermoto goodness, all shot at 120 and 300 frames per second.
That means we get to watch the bikes kick sideways in beautiful slow motion, both on dry pavement and wet mud. The video is four and a half minutes of two-wheeled goodness, and a welcome break for the middle of the week. Scroll down to enjoy the show for yourself.
Continue reading All the slow-motion supermoto action you can stand
All the slow-motion supermoto action you can stand originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 May 2012 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsJapanese owner of Harley-Davidson that washed up on Canadian shore found
Filed under: Etc., Japan, Videos, Motorcycle, Canada
As far-fetched as it may seem, the owner of the Japanese Harley-Davidson motorcycle that washed up on the coast of Canada has been found. Beachcombers sent photographs of the bike to Harley-Davidson, which managed to track the registration to Ikuo Yokoyama in Miyagi Prefecture. Yokoyama lost three family members and his home in the tsunami that struck Japan a little more than a year ago and assumed his bike was gone forever. But the beachcombers have extracted the bike from the remote shore, and at its own expense, Harley-Davidson reportedly plans to have the machine shipped back to Miyagi, where it will be restored and returned to its rightful owner. Yokoyama is still living in a temporary shelter.
The bike drifted some 3,100 miles across the Pacific ocean in the back of a cube van. Yokoyama was using the box as storage for the bike on his property. Harley-Davidson says that despite plenty of corrosion, the motorcycle is in surprisingly good shape given what the machine has endured.
Miyagi Prefecture was one of the hardest-hit areas of Japan, where the disaster left 11,000 people dead or missing. Click past the jump to watch a CBC report on the remarkable story.
Continue reading Japanese owner of Harley-Davidson that washed up on Canadian shore found
Japanese owner of Harley-Davidson that washed up on Canadian shore found originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 May 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsHarley-Davidson lost in Japan’s tsunami washes up in Canada
Filed under: Etc., Japan, Videos, Motorcycle, Canada
With the longest coastline in the world, Canada is bound to get all sorts of weird things washing up on its shores from every which direction. But a Harley-Davidson motorcycle? That's what one Peter Mark found while riding his ATV on a secluded island off the Pacific coast of British Columbia. Its origin? Japan.
The bike - enclosed along with other random items in what appears to be the compartment off a moving truck - appears to have traveled some 3,000 miles across the North Pacific from Japan's Miyagi Prefecture to the Canadian province of British Columbia. That's where Mark found it, rusted but recognizable inside the white cube that was apparently washed out to sea by the tsunami that struck the island nation one year ago.
The finder of the piece of iron driftwood left it where he found it and contacted the Japanese consulate in Vancouver which is trying to track down the original owner whose fate remains unknown. Scroll down to watch the fascinating video report.
Continue reading Harley-Davidson lost in Japan's tsunami washes up in Canada
Harley-Davidson lost in Japan's tsunami washes up in Canada originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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